The Premier League Team of the Season So Far
By Ivan Buss
FWD: Mohammed Salah (Liverpool)
With 10 goals now this season, only behind the likes of Erling Haaland for top goalscorer in the Premier League, he looks much improved compared to his start last season. Liverpool fans will be thanking their lucky stars that Salah didn’t follow the masses after many reports had suggested that offers were arriving from the Saudi Pro League and Salah was giving it genuine consideration. Whether those rumors were true or not, Salah has certainly remained focused since he decided to remain with the club.
Keeping Salah certainly looks like the best bit of business Liverpool could have done given inconsistencies with their other forwards.
ST: Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
13 goals, 3 assists, in 12 games. He hasn’t looked as dominant as last year, but if this is Haaland having an off start to the season, my word is that we lost the plot as fans. These kinds of numbers aren’t normal, they just aren’t. Without his main provider in Kevin De Bruyne who has been out injured almost the entire season thus far, Manchester City have had to adapt to ensure they provide Haaland the service he needs to keep them firing in the Premier League.
FWD: Julian Alvarez (Manchester City)
He really can do it all, can’t he? Julian Alvarez has arguably been City’s most important player alongside Rodri this season given the absence of Kevin De Bruyne. With the need for a creative player in a more central attacking role, Alvarez has taken that responsibility and ran with it. Nobody is going to replace Kevin de Bruyne, but for all the talent that Manchester City have, their depth in that KDB role right now seemed oddly thin, that is until Julian Alvarez went ahead and scored 4 goals and provided 4 assists so far in the league. His partnership and understanding with Erling Haaland have proved a massive help.
Whether you want to place him as a CAM in a Best XI, or as a forward, I believe his spot is warranted. After all, what are positions to Pep Guardiola anyway?
Honorable mentions:
DEF: Joachim Andersen (Crystal Palace)
Crystal Palace sure aren’t turning any heads in attack so far this year, but it’s crazy that a bigger Premier League side hasn’t come in for Andersen yet. He has a great passing range and consistency in his game and this year he has even added some goals to his game in a side that has only let in one more goal than Tottenham this year.
FWD: Jeremy Doku (Manchester City)
Doku has quickly asserted himself into this Manchester City side and there’s clear evidence why Pep continues to pick him in the starting lineups. While his defensive effort still needs some work, he brings excitement and rapid pace into an otherwise regimented City team, providing unpredictability (and some great end product). With two goals and 5 assists in his opening 9 matches, it was shocking to see nobody else chasing after him in the summer window.
FWD: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham)
Eight goals and 1 assist in this West Ham side who have scored just 21 goals so far this year, he at least deserves a mention here and I would not be upset if he takes a place in your forward line. If there wasn’t so much competition for these forward spots, Bowen fits in with much less fuss. However, having already left out players like Bukayo Saka, Doku, Son, and even Mbuemo, Bowen remains on my bench.